Broken Hearts
by mbailey99
Summary: Don has a secret. Can they survive this? Don/Colby


Title: Broken Hearts

Pairings: Don/Colby

A/N: I do not own Numb3rs nor the characters. This is my very first fanfic. Constructive Criticism is always welcome.

Broken Hearts

It started like it always did, lately at least. Don would come home late and we would fight about it until we were exhausted and then he would sleep on the couch to avoid me. The next day it would be like nothing happened. He should know that I knew when he got off. We were on the same team after all. He would disappear. His phone was turned off. I didn't know who he was spending his evenings with and part of me didn't want to know. If I knew I might do something I would regret. I just cannot figure out where things went badly. Where he had to turn to someone else. Things had been good lately or so I thought. I just needed to know where things went wrong for him. When he stopped loving me.

I decided I could not take it any more. He came in and this time I had enough. I had my bags packed. I was not going to live like this. I loved him but I could not let him treat me this way. I did not know who he was seeing but I knew he was with someone. Tonight he came home looking a mess. He had his shirt all wrinkled and he looked like he was exhausted. Then he saw my bags. He asked if something happened. All I could do is laugh.

"No Don nothing at all has happened." I said he could tell I was being sarcastic.

"Colby, it has been a very long day. Whatever it is can we deal with it tomorrow?"

"No Don. I will not be here tomorrow. I have tried to talk to you about where you go and you just shut me down. I cannot take it anymore. This has to stop. If whoever you are spending your nights with is so important then maybe you should go be with them. Why don't you bring them here and share OUR bed with them. Obviously I mean nothing to you anymore. I don't know why you even bother coming back."

Don slumped down in the chair. He did not say anything for several minutes. I was fuming. I just told the man that I love that I was leaving and nothing. He just sat there. How could he just sit there.

"You have nothing to say. I tell you I am leaving. I can't do this anymore Don. You know that I love you. We have been together for 3 years now. I cannot believe that you are going to let me leave here without saying a word. I thought you loved me."

Before I could continue he jumped up and grabbed me by the arms. When he got closer I could tell he had been crying. His eyes where still blood shot. Don never cried. He never let anyone see him if he did but from what I have heard he never cried. Not even when his mom died. He was the strength for his family. For a man that strong, what could make him cry. For the first time in our relationship I was terrified of what would happen.

Don leaned in and gave me the most amazing bruising kiss ever. I couldn't even think.

"Colby, I have loved you since the first time I met you. There is no one else for me but you. I am sorry that I have been distant but there are some things that I have to handle on my own."

"Don, you know that I love you and there is nothing you could say that would change that. Just let me in and let me help you with whatever is going on. If it is not someone else you have been with then what is going on. You disappear for hours several times in the last 2 weeks. What am I supposed to think?"

"I can't do this Colby. I am sorry. Please don't ask. Just trust me."

"Trust you, how can I trust you when you will not talk to me. Come on. Just tell me. I can't keep going like this."

"I … I … I might be sick. You can go ahead and leave. I understand."

"What! Sick? What do you mean sick?"

"They say it is probably…. More than likely I have cancer."

I couldn't move. Don is the strongest man I have ever met. How can this be. There must be a mistake. Then it all came together. He thought I would leave him to deal with this. Thought I would not be there for him. Thought he had to be strong for me. I had to reassure him. I had to make sure he understood that the love that I have for him will help him get through this. That we can get through this.

"You think I would leave you because you might have Cancer. Don, you are the love of my life. I cannot imagine my life without you in it. How could I walk away from the man of my dreams just because of Cancer. Don I will always love you and I will not leave you just because of this."

Tears were starting to run down his face. All I could do was hold him. It might not be enough but it is what I know how to do. I was hoping that he understood that I was going to hold him through this. I cannot lose him. Not know. Not ever.

I kissed him on the forehead and told him: "You are stuck with me. I am not going anywhere. I expect to know when you your next appointment is because you are not doing this alone. And for the record, you are not allowed to leave me. I am going to grow old with you. Do you here me?"

All Don could do was give a small smile and nod. I knew that he understood that we were going to get through this. We had to because I cannot lose him.

"Don have you talked to your family?"

"No, I can't not until we know what we are dealing with. I can't do this to them."

"Don, Honey, you know that they love you no matter what. They can handle this. Your Dad will want to be there for you too. Charlie will too. Of course, he will run statistics on it for you but they will want to know."

"No! I just can't. You were not here when Mom was sick. You do not know what it was like. I can't tell Dad and Charlie that I have cancer. They cannot know. You cannot tell them. I need you to promise me you will not say a word to anyone. No one can know. Colby promise me you will not say a word."

"Don, they love you. I love you. I won't say anything but please consider telling them. They love you. They will handle this but you need there support."

Don fell in my arms and for the first time in a long time let me hold him. I relished the moment. It felt so good to have the man that I love in my arms. I just prayed that he would always be here. I cannot lose him.

That night I held Don in my arms and tried to chase away the nightmares. They were my nightmares now. I had to find a way to make sure that he fought this and won. There was no way that I could lose him.

The next day we went to his doctor's appointment. Dr. Lang was one of the best the oncology department had but I just wished I never had to meet her. She was optimistic but she would not rule anything out. This was the longest day of my life and it was so surreal. I just sat there listening to her say that he did have Pancreatic Cancer. The words just echoed in my head. I could not believe that my hero, my best friend, my lover was being given this diagnosis. My hand kept tightening around his. I had to feel him. I had to know he was still here with me. I had to find a way to make sure he beat this.

We went straight home. He went to our room. He said he needed some time alone. I was still in shock. I can only imagine what he was going through. I gave him an hour and nothing from him. I went to check on him.

"Don, do you want to talk?"

"What is there to talk about? I am dying and there is nothing any of us can do. I am going to break your heart, Dad's heart, and Charlie's. What is it exactly we should talk about."

"Don, please stop. We all love you so much. This is not over. We will fight this. We have to fight this."

"Why, Just leave. You do not have to stay for this. You are still young. You can find someone else. Someone to make you happy. Someone that will still be here in a year or so. Someone you can grow old with. Someone to have a family with. We have had fun and you are amazing. Please just go and be happy."

I ran over to him. I took his face in my hands. I kissed him like I would never kiss him again. I could not imagine not kissing him again.

"Don Eppes, I have loved you for so long. I will always love you. I cannot leave. I know you feel like there is no hope and that you are being my hero and sacrificing for me but I am not going to let you do this. We might not be able to get married legally but in my heart and soul you are my lover, my soul mate, and my hero. I will be here with you for better or worse AND in sickness and in health. Nothing you say will change that. I will always love you Don."

"How can you be like this? How can you love me? Not only am I likely to die soon but I have treated you so bad lately. We have been fighting so much. I was trying to push you away. Trying to get you to hate me so that it would be easy for you to leave me. Colby, I am no hero. You are mine. You will always be mine. This is going to get ugly. This is going to be bad. Just promise me if it is too much then you will leave. Promise me you will not stick around and end up resenting me for this. Please promise me this. I have to know that you will leave if you want to leave. You do not have anything to prove. You do not owe me anything."

"Don, I promise but do not look for me to leave. Just promise me you will fight. You have to fight this and you have to get better. I cannot live without you. Do you hear me. You have to get through this. Please get through this. I need you."

"I promise I will do whatever it takes to be here for as long as I can. I love you Colby Granger. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I promise you I will do everything I can to spend the rest of my life, however long that might be, making you the happiest man on earth."

I just held him. Hoping and praying that we would be able to grow old together. Tomorrow I would start the next battle. Trying to convince Don to tell his family.


End file.
